storybook knights
by New DCD
Summary: "...I think we're not in Elibe anymore." Sain, Florina, and others, displaced in a modern world not unlike our own. To live tomorrow, and to hopefully find a way back home, they must learn to rely and trust each other. Why are they here in the first place? Only together can they hope to find the answer, for together they fight. Together they live. [E.S.P.-03]


Darkness.

Pure, suffocating, intoxicating darkness surrounded him, engulfed him, filled his senses. His eyes were open but could see only mere nothingness, as if were covered in a shroud of pure black. He could listen to no sound, as if the world had gone mute or he had become deaf. All he could perceive, or at least imagine he was, was the sensation that he was falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

A splash.

He had hit a body of water and was now sinking. He can see now, his vision blurry underwater and his eyes stinging. Air starts escaping his lungs; he was too physically and mentally exhausted to ever be prepared for another such situation, and he starts flailing his arms wildly, mustering all of his upper body strength in a desperate attempt to reach the surface.

A deep breath, eyes closed. He takes in the sound of the shore, of the ocean. He feels tired, perhaps more than he had ever felt before, even more than when he and his boon companions had fought tooth and nail, clinging to dear life, in a desperate struggle for survival. Despite this, he opens his eyes, and is greeted by the platinum full moon shining down on him. He goes mostly limp and lets the current carry his weary body. And then he feels wet sand underneath him, caking his hair. He musters his remaining strength and takes a shaky step, then another, and then another, until he is out of the water. His knees buckle and he collapses, the soft sand cushioning his fall. There, before losing consciousness, he catches a glimpse of a petite figure not too far from him, her drenched lavender locks clinging to her face... her eyes shut and her chest rising and contracting rhythmically, as if asleep.

He lets his lips curve upwards slightly before collapsing, the darkness claiming him once more.

-o-

Project E.S. Presents:

E.S.P.-03

storybook knights

Chapter 1: Welcome, to the Alternative to Heaven

Disclaimer: The author of this story claims no ownership to the characters or locations contained herein that originate from preexisting intellectual property. All rights belong to their respective owners.

-o-

His eyes fluttered open slowly. They stung. The rest of his body felt weary; it would not be an exaggeration to say that his every muscle felt strained and spent. An unfamiliar green ceiling greets him, and a strange contraption spins overhead. The middle of the strange artifact was emanating light, as if there was a lantern inside of it. Still, it shone brighter than any lantern he had ever seen…as for the contraption, it consisted of a few rectangular pieces of wood spinning around a circular section, in which the 'lantern' was located. A gentle breeze caressed his face, which made him wonder if this was possibly some sort of fan.

This train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. In came a blue-haired man with a headband around his forehead similar to his own. For a moment, he thought the man was Hector, but upon more careful inspection, he realized this man's features were quite different. His face wasn't as wide as Lord Hector's, and his build, while quite burly and comparable to that of the Ostian lord, was still somewhat less bulky. This man's hair was wilder and longer, too. So who was he?

"Hey, you're awake. That's great. We found you collapsed in the beach near here". The man walked towards his own bedridden form, and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "Name's Ike. You're one of us now. What can I call you?"

One of us? What did this 'Ike' mean? "My name is S-Sain". The Elibean put his hand on his forehead. He had a headache, but was otherwise too preoccupied with his surroundings to notice it until now.

"All right, Sain. I have a lot of explaining to do, but quite honestly, I believe it might be easier to do if you told me about whatever is the last thing you remember." 'Ike' smiled sympathetically. "Otherwise, what comes next might be too unbelievable."

Sain snapped his eyes shut, deep in thought. His head was throbbing, and it made it difficult to organize his thoughts. A boat, a whirpool, jumping into the water…a sinking feeling, drowning… "I think I can do that…"

-o-

The unmistakably salty scent of the sea assaulted his nostrils. The cool sea breeze ruffled Sain's hair, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. The wooden floor of the ship creaked with its rhythmic swaying amongst the waters. The sun was setting in the horizon, painting the twilit sky like a canvas of reds and oranges. He supported his body on the bulwark, his forearms resting on the raised structure as he gave his back to the rest of the seafaring vessel.

Had you told Sain a scant few months ago that he would be aboard Fargus' ship once again after the incident at Dragon's Gate, he would have called you crazy. If you had added that he would be visiting Valor once again aboard said ship, he would have been certain you were a lunatic. But, should your given name be something along the lines of "Fiora" (or any other appellative that evoked beauty and grace in the mind of the man, for the matter), and asked him to do just that under his new role as an independent knight, the results would be markedly different. So when the Pegasus Knight of Ilia asked the ex-Caelin Paladin to join her along with a few of their old comrades in a reconnaissance expedition to Valor backed by Ostia, he agreed without second thought.

"Independent Knight"…he still could not get used to the title. To him, it was just a fancier way of saying "mercenary" or "sellsword", and yet, his dear friend Kent insisted on the terminology as if there was some difference, perhaps an underlying implication known to the Steward of Caelin, but entirely alien to him. To Sain, there was no distinction, and he had met far too many mercs in his time that were fundamentally good and likeable to hold any form of stigma to said terminology. He even remembered the days in which Wil hastily dubbed their little traveling troupe "Lyndis' Legion", and they acted as mercenaries by proxy, in order to include Lady Florina in their ranks…

He opened his eyes and stared at the orange orb in the horizon, the exquisite coloring reflecting themselves in his dark green eyes. The small, meek Pegasus Knight with a peculiar fear of men had become a lot stronger and independent as time went on, and she, too, was an irreplaceable companion. While he couldn't say he knew her very well on the personal level, they were in relatively friendly terms with each other (or at least, whatever constitutes as friendly between a womanizing cavalier and an androphobic maiden). Such a thing was to be expected, of course, as they had served Lady Lyndis for a year after they helped her reclaim her birthright. At the time, he had made a conscious effort not to court her too much: while such a flower was undeniably lovely, seeing her with a panicked expression was nowhere near as good as it would be to see her with a smile, and while perhaps he was insensitive sometimes, he definitely wasn't that dense; such advances would only aggravate her current outlook and make her shy away further from him. Hers was a delicate situation.

Still, he admired her inner resolve to aid Lady Lyndis, and how she little by little, had opened herself more to the opposite gender, if only for short, polite and distant interaction. So, he exercised caution, keeping himself in check when talking to her in private. Alas, such a task was incredibly arduous! To restrain praise from such a lovely flower felt almost like heresy!

And yet…that he did. In a way, it was special treatment, just for her. Conversations with what she definitely must have seen as a frightening male must have helped her, if even just a little. These were usually brief and happened rarely, but it was in one of such exchanges that he first heard of Fiora…

Sain heard footsteps, which made the already-creaking deck's wooden base sound even louder. Someone now stood in the spot next to him, imitating his own resting position and looking at him. He turned his head and met her eyes.

Ah, speak of the devil.

The new arrival had long turquoise hair that reached the middle of her back which contrasted perfectly with her deep blue eyes. As if his internal musings had summoned her to this place, Fiora now stood next to him, the expression on her delicate, pale face as serene and elegant as ever.

"Ah, Lady Fiora!" Sain started, "I am honored you decided to suddenly grace this humble man with your ever-mesmerizing presence! Perhaps there is something you wish to discuss, my beauteous Ilian damsel?"

Fiora's eyes examined Sain quizzically for a moment, before her lips curved slightly upwards and she let out a small, stifled giggle. "Sir Sain, sometimes I wonder…how do you come up with such lines?"

Sometimes, he wondered the same.

"A-ah! Well, Lady Fiora, when a man such as me is presented with divine inspiration from an otherworldy muse that walks amongst us mortals, it is truly impossible to restrain the words that flow out of one's soul so naturally!" The Cavalier responded, theatrically gesticulating with his right arm as he spoke, in an attempt to distract the female from the slight blush that decorated his cheeks.

Another giggle, this time accompanied by a gentle scoff. "You know, Sir Sain…should you ever wish to retire from the battlefield, you could always find your place in the arts." These words sent a nostalgic chill down the man's spine, turning his gaze back to the sunset. "As for what I wanted to discuss with you…well, I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Sain inquired.

"Yes, for aiding us with the mission. Your help was invaluable, especially during our skirmish with remnants of the Black Fang. We were not expecting them, but it was a good thing we had plenty of experienced combatants with us at that time, and that includes you. So…thank you for responding to my request in such a short notice, and joining us in this expedition." Fiora spoke in her ever-so-formal tone, proper of a woman so professionally minded. To this, Sain felt himself smiling a little.

"I said I would protect you as a knight, Dame Fiora. Remember? Not to mention, I owed you from that time I fainted from my fever and you aided me."

Fiora closed her eyes for a split second before opening them again, turning her gaze towards the setting sun. "Yes, I recall you saying such things. I also recall mentioning that being near you presents its own unique dangers, which I still believe…"

"Ah! Lady Fiora, your words cut deep!" said the man, clutching his chest over his heart in yet another of his overtly theatrical motions.

"Allow me to finish, Sain." Fiora interjected, "Such dangers are…not entirely unwelcome." Her cheeks were now flushed with a rosy tint; the Pegasus Knight stared intently at the colorful sky, probably hoping to avoid his own gaze.

"Lady Fiora…" He, too, had his sights firmly planted on the ever-distant horizon. His heart raced as his respiration became shallow.. Perhaps he was known as a ladies' man by friends, but he, too, was fundamentally human, and is there anything more human in this world than succumbing to nervousness when in the proximity of someone truly special? Because, despite all of his shortcomings, he wanted to be closer to the one standing next to him, and to no one else.

"Just…just Fiora is fine." She stared intently at the water, as if she had dropped her courage into the deep blue, and was trying to catch a glimpse of it.

They stood there, together, in that delightfully pleasant awkwardness for a bit longer, before Sain decided to break the silence once again.

"More importantly…Fiora…" Sain hesistated yet again as he said her name, "…about that strange relic that was found…"

"Oh, yes!" She, too, seemed to want to attach herself to this newfound opportunity. "The mysterious gemstone Florina found in the Dragon's Gate… Hopefully, Lord Pent and Erk could provide some insight into said artifact. The unnatural light it irradiates makes me think that it's magical in nature, and we don't really have any mages with us right know who could clue us as to its nature. For now, I've told her to hold it close."

"I see. I find it strange, though, that such an item would be found specifically where Nils left…"

"...And that our troops missed it the first time we were there. It's all rather bizarre. Well, should we learn something regarding that mysterious stone, then there is no doubt our reconnaissance mission will have given fruit. Coupled with the fact that we have confirmed remnants in the isle, I'm sure Lord Hector will certainly find this information important."

"Certainly so, Fiora." He didn't think he could ever get used to calling her just her name. Gathering his valor, he decided to present her with a question. "Say, would you like to stare at the dusk with m-" But his question was cut short, as he realized the sky had already darkened, and yet…

It felt unnatural. It was as if someone or something had dragged the sun under the horizon, bringing darkness far quicker than there should be. A single drop of water splashed on the tip of his nose. He looked upwards, and could see no stars. Rain was starting to pour down. Again, this felt unsettling.

It was then that a piercing scream, and a loud splash, broke the eerie silence that had set down on the deck.

That voice…it was Florina's, wasn't it?!

Without room for trepidation, Sain ran toward the direction of the noise, Fiora hot on his heels. At the other side of the deck was Dart, his expression aghast.

And in the waters below, Florina flayed her arms, doing her best not to drown.

How did this happen? Sain pondered the question for less than a split second, before focusing on what was truly important in this situation. Then, he noticed it.

"Dart! The rope!"

Dart snapped out of his trance before quickly turning back towards the hemp rope and, his thoughts nonverbally synchronized with Sain's, tossed one of the ends towards the cavalier. Without a moment to lose, Sain tied the rope to his waist as firmly as he could, and taking a few steps backwards, broke into a sprint.

He leaped! His foot used the bulwark as a platform! He dove into the dark waters with a loud splash!

One stroke forward and another, and another, and another…Sain swam towards the Pegasus Knight. This proved to be quite difficult, as the waters had suddenly become very turbulent. No doubt someone without strength comparable to him would be in Florina's situation right now…

The saltwater stung his eyes, but he could tell he was finally next to her. He wrapped his left arm over her submerged torso without second thought, only realizing moments later that such a thing could make the situation worse. She didn't struggle. Her eyes were closed and she was limp, as if exhausted from swallowing the ocean water and trying to stay afloat. Silently thanking St. Elimine, he pulled on the rope; a signal to Dart so he could start pulling them back. And then he finally noticed something he couldn't believe had escaped his perception before. It was certainly dark, but…

…how exactly do you miss a whirlpool in the middle of the ocean?

Mustering all of his strength, Sain tried to swim against the current with free arm, but it was pointless. He barely was able to keep his course by himself…how could he possibly hope to do so with Florina in tow?! His only option was to pull at the rope, and pull he did, as the current dragging him to the depths became stronger and stronger.

Then he felt as the rope slipped through his fingers as it broke.

The current dragged him to the depths and spun him around as a child would a ragdoll. The last thing he could hear would be Fiora's anguished cries for her sister and him. His grip on Florina, although relentless, eventually gave way, as they spun and spun. To die in such a place…as the oxygen escaped his lungs and made bubbles as it rushed out of his mouth, he could only think it was incredible he survived so many battles just to die by drowning in the ocean.

He no longer felt sadness for himself, but for Fiora and Florina. To separate beloved sisters in such a way…fate can be truly the harshest mistress out there.

His mind started to go blank. He was going to die here.

He…

Was…

Dying…

Dying…

Dying…

Dying…

He saw…

_Her_…

Smiling…

That warm smile…

That warm smile he always wished to see again…

Her hand was outstretched towards **him.**

Beckoning him…

…_to the other side_…

But _**he didn't want to resist**_.

So he outstretched his hand…ready for the other side.

But…she pushed him away, all while keeping that warm smile…

And then…

He felt air rush inside his lungs. His eyes adjusted to the world around him, but, there was nothing.

Darkness.

Pure, suffocating, intoxicating darkness surrounded him, engulfed him, filled his senses. His eyes were open but could see only mere nothingness, as if were covered in a shroud of pure black. He could listen to no sound, as if the world had gone mute or he had become deaf. All he could perceive, or at least imagine he was, was the sensation that he was falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

A splash.

-o-

"So that's what happened to you?" inquired Ike, who was crossing his arms as he listened to Sain's tale.

"I know it is…quite unbelievable, my good fellow." By now, Sain had regained his composure somewhat, but still felt too weary to stand. "To tell you the truth, I'm wondering if perhaps I didn't just hallucinate the whole affair."

"You didn't." Ike placed a reassuring hand on the decumbent cavalier's shoulder. "When I told you that you're one of us, I meant that me and my friends have gone through something very similar."

"…What?"

"Let's just say, Sain, that you're a long, long way from home. So am I. This world we're in is very different from mine, and I'm certain it is from yours as well. It's not exactly common to see a man in this world wearing shin guards, I must tell you."

'This World'? 'My World'? 'Your World'? What was he even talking about? But, more importantly…

"…Awfully convenient that someone in the same situation as me is here to fill me in." Sain stated warily, his tone filled with suspicion. The blue-haired man, instead of being offended, just smirked and placed a hand on his hip.

"You're a sharp fellow, Sain. Yes, such a coincidence would be unlikely, to say the least. However, there's an explanation for that."

"…I'm listening." Sain would not let his guard down, but he would at least give the stranger the benefit of the doubt. After all, should this Ike be an enemy…couldn't he have made him a prisoner while he was unconscious?

"We didn't stumble upon you and your companion by coincidence. We were actually notified you'd be there."

This only raised more questions! Couldn't he get a satisfying response for a change? Who exactly could be expecting him?! His expression turned sour, and Ike took the facial gesture and immediately understood.

"I'll explain THAT in a bit, but I think we should leave that for later. It'd be better you got used to your…ah…surroundings first. Everything's going to come as quite a shock…been there, I should know…but you'll find that life here is quite comfortable."

"…and where exactly is this he-" A loud shriek interrupted Sain's question. Florina! His adrenaline kicked into high gear, and ignoring the soreness and even numbness of his body, he jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room, through a small hall, and into a new one!

The scene that greeted him, however, was nowhere near as severe as he thought it'd be. There were three persons Sain didn't know inside the room. One was a blue-haired man with features Sain could only describe as "catlike". What little he could see of his hair underneath a strange hat Sain had never seen before was much lighter in tone in comparison to Ike's, and much closer to Fiora's. Next to him, stood a shorter youth which reminded Sain quite a bit of Nils, what with the round face and large eyes. His hair, however, was a vivid green. The most interesting individual, though, was a person with long hair and delicate, sharp even feminine attributes, while still retaining a masculine aura. A man he was, and Sain had no doubt about it. He had had experience confusing a male as a member of the opposite gender once before…and he had vowed not to make that mistake ever again.

The 'boy' and the 'cat' looked at Sain with concern written plain on their faces. The other man just looked annoyed. It was then that he noticed that Florina was clutching the long-haired man's clothing from the back, as if hiding behind him.

Oh. Florina had certainly…well, this is going to be a somewhat awkward…

"Um, Lady Florina? That's a man you're hiding behind of…"

She looked up at the face of her makeshift shield.

They stared at each other. Blink.

And before he knew it, Florina was hiding below the bed, shaking in terror.

"What's with her?" The 'cat' asked.

"She's afraid of men." Sain responded.

The 'boy' turned towards Sain and stared at the cavalier, perplexed. "A 'fear of men'? I didn't know such a thing was possible?"

'Long-hair' intervened. "Androphobia. An irrational fear of men, just like how arachnophobia is the irrational fear of spiders. It's not common, but definitely not unheard of."

"Ah, as always, Soren has all the answers." The 'cat' responded. The man, now identified as 'Soren', just glared at him, and the 'cat' decided to just chuckle sheepishly. "Relax, bud, I think that's a good thing." He said, trying to placate the erudite. Soren's line of sight, however, just wouldn't let up.

"Introductions will have to come later." Ike's voice drew the attention of everyone present. Sain had not noticed him standing behind him. "I think it might be best to leave these two to talk things out for a bit."

"Yes, I've known Lady Florina for a while now. While her fear is quite crippling, she and I have had private conversations in the past. I believe I can fill her in on what I know of our situation, somewhat."

"We'll just wait outside, then." the 'cat' said, walking past Sain, stopping for a brief moment to pat the cavalier on the back. "Good luck there, buddy." What a friendly fellow. Soon, the 'boy' and Soren following suit; the boy gave Sain a slight nod before exiting, while Soren didn't so much as acknowledge his existence.

"Tell us when you're done talking". Ike said, closing the door behind him.

Once only Sain remained, Florina crawled back out from below the bed. The poor thing was still shaking, and her gaze was stuck downwards.

"Sir Sain…w-where are we?" questioned Florina

"…I would like to know the same thing. But I do know one thing. Apparently, we are far away from any home we ever knew of, and these people share our situation. So, essentially…I think we're not in Elibe anymore."

"W-what?! How could you think such a thing? T-that's ludicrous!"

"I don't blame you for not noticing, but…" Sain looked overhead, and Florina followed his gaze. There was a similar contraption to the one he took note of in the room he woke up in; the 'automated fan'. It was the first hint, really, that he was in a place very different from the continent he's lived his whole life in.

"Have you ever seen a machine like that before? I believe it's some sort of 'fan'. And then there's that over there." His gaze switched to a small black box with small red numbers shining dimly within it. "I took notice of that when I entered the room. The numbers inside seem to switch periodically by increments of one…It's probably some sort of 'clock'." Walking to the rectangular device, he picked it up and inspected it. Sure enough, it was labeled an 'alarm clock' on one of the sides, alongside some strange numbers and letters Sain could not make heads or tails of.

"I…suppose i-it makes sense if you put it that way…"

"Ike mentioned something else that was rather interesting, too. He mentioned 'this world', as well as 'his world' and 'my'…'our world'. If I were to wager a guess…this is probably similar to how Nils and Ninian came from 'another realm' on the other side of the Dragon's Gate. As to how we got here… I don't have the slightest clue as to how or why. Do you remember falling into the water, Lady Florina?" Sain inquired, but his question fell on deaf ears as Florina stared straight ahead, her eyes on level with his neck due to the size difference between the two. She was in some sort of trance, deep in thought, just staring past him and onto the wall behind him. He felt that, should he speak up and snap her out of this conscious reverie, she'd lose grasp of whatever revelation she was brewing in her mind. All he could do is look at her. By St. Elimine, just like her sister, Florina was a beauty, with her gorgeous lavender locks that complemented her teal orbs and her fair skin. Now, Dame Florina didn't make his heart beat faster or made a blush creep up his face, but she was still a sight for sore eyes.

After all, even if he had feelings for Fiora, it wasn't wrong for a man like Sain to admire beauty if it stood before him…right?

…And there was certainly nothing wrong with letting said beauty how outrageously enchanting they are, was there? Ah, but this was Miss Florina. He had to restrain himself from such things.

She finally broke the silence. "Dragon's Gate…when I fell, I still had that strange stone on me. The o-one we found near Dragon's Gate…" She reached for her pockets, realized she had none, and visibly tensed up.

Ah.

Sain hadn't had a moment to ponder how exactly could two people who had been soaked to the bone before losing consciousness be so dry. He looked at himself and confirmed his suspicions: these weren't his clothes, and those were most likely not Florina's, either. They had been changed while they were unconscious…Sain didn't mind himself, but…

She collapsed on her knees and looked like she was about to cry. This was bad!

"S-sir Sain, I…I think they r-removed my s-s-s-smallclothes too…" She said between sniffles.

**GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**

How could she say such a thing to him?!

His mind had been kicked into Overdrive!

Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control! Self-control!

Regaining his composure, and pondering for just a fraction of a second why she would inform him of that…little fact…he tried to console her with a sheepish, warm smile.

"That's fine! I'm not wearing any either!"

…

…

…

…**WHY WOULD HE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!?**

**The way he worded it was completely wrong!**

_She's going to get the wrong idea._

As the awkward silence set in, Sain finally understood why Kent would become exasperated with him so much; he really was a special brand of idiot. He felt sympathy for who the man who now was the Steward of Caelin. Whoever could deal with Sain in a daily basis like he did were nothing short of a saint.

Luckily for Sain, or perhaps not, the door behind him swung open and hit him pretty hard on the shoulder. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" A loud feminine voice wailed, as the cavalier groaned and rubbed his arm. "Ah! Sorry about that, buster!"

This obnoxious person surely was going to get a piece of his mind! Sain turned around to face the new occupant of the room and…oh.

Well now, isn't that a gorgeous lass?

Her clothes were orange and black, and a white headband contrasted with her long, silky purple bangs. Her forest-green eyes were stunning, as well!

"My fair lady!" Sain gesticulated with his arms, in what Fiora would definitely describe as 'theatrical motions'. "Should you share your name with this poor, injured fellow, all will be forgiven."

"Whoah, are you some sort of actor? 'Cause you're pretty good at that. Name's Mia!"

"Beauteous Mia! Your name is truly fitting of thine splendor! I am Sain, and my companion here is Florina. We are pleased to make the acquaintance of such a lovely maiden!"

Mia, on the other hand, just focused on Florina. The lavender-haired Pegasus Knight just stared back, perplexed. She looked a lot more relaxed now than a few moments ago, probably because she had acknowledged the possibility that the girl she just met was most likely the one that took in the job of changing her out of her soaked clothes. Of course, Florina was still somewhat flustered and apprehensive, but she also was less defensive. In other words, Florina was being her usual bashful self.

"Florina, eh? Can I call you Floririn?! Floririn!" Mia yelled as she pounced on the Pegasus Knight, who didn't have any time to react.

Maybe it would have been better if Florina had stayed on the defensive. The shock on Florina's face was palpable as Mia spoke much, much faster than Sain thought was humanly possible, all while hugging Florina close, as if she were a child and the Pegasus Knight some sort of doll.

"Oh boy, she's doing the _otaku_ fangirl thing again, isn't she?"

"…she is."

Sain took notice of Ike and Soren, who were now standing side by side on the doorway.

"Otaku…fangirl?" Sain asked. He had never heard those words before, but for some reason, if it entailed acting like how Mia was right now…he was filled with dread.

"Long story you wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of right now. However, let's just say Mia has always been eccentric, but it got a lot worse when we were transported here..." Ike responded.

"Hey guys, look at Floririn!"

Sain and the other two men turned the strange yet spirited girl. She presented the all-too-flustered girl to the men. The cause of Mia's excitement (and Florina's increased reddening) was a strange piece of headwear that now decorated the Pegasus Knight's head. For all extents and purposes, they looked like light blue 'cat ears', and upon closer inspection, Sain could tell that they were made of the same material as the 'alarm clock' he had inspected earlier. He couldn't deny the accessory looked undeniably charming on the girl, but anybody could tell that she wasn't all too thrilled about this. Honestly, that was an understatement. Her face was a red as a tomato at this point and Sain was actually started to get worried that her head would burst.

"Hey, Mia, I was looking for those! Can I have those back?"

The voice belonged to the 'cat'. Huh, so it wasn't just his face that was catlike, but his tastes as well? Strange that such an accessory would belong to a man.

"Well, I think this would be as good a time as any for us to try and piece this all together. The sooner we get started, the better. Mia brought some snacks and drinks, too." Ike stated as his commandeering presence beckoned the others to agree.

-o-

It was all still rather unbelievable, said the logical part of his mind, but he knew it all to be true: "bizarre" didn't even begin to describe this day and honestly his very core refused to be surprised by any new developments. At this moment in time, you could tell him that Lord Eliwood had magical powers that allowed him to fly freely in the sky and he would believe it.

They all sat around a large, rectangular wooden table, each with a peculiarly dark-brown colored, fizzy drink, had begun the conversation by asking Sain and Florina to talk about where they came from, as once again, Ike figured it would make explanations easier. So they described Elibe as generally as they could (or rather, Sain did as Florina stared at the beverage she was given, her cheeks still flushed from the previous incident). The countries, the culture of each country, the weather…and of course, the religion and legends; everything was summed up.

Yes, the continent of Elibe could not coexist with the Tellius Ike and company hailed from; after all, Tellius was the only remaining large landmass according to Ike that could constitute being named a 'continent'.

So they really hailed from completely different worlds. Realities, even? Sain felt he was out of his depth; a scholar like Canas or Erk would be completely lost in this situation…so how exactly could they describe him, an independent knight with a million questions swirling inside his head? 'Lost' wouldn't begin to describe his mental state at this moment in time.

He also learned that Tellius was home to two different types of citizens: the beorc, not unlike himself, Florina, and everyone back home. Then, there was the laguz, people with animalistic traits such as ears, tails or even wings, who could shape-shift into the animals they resembled, while retaining their rational minds.

Then they mentioned that the 'cat', Ranulf, was one of the laguz. In the end, he wasn't just catlike, he _was_ a cat. But then, that just begged the question: if laguz had animal tails and ears, where were Ranulf's? He had taken off his hat, and was wearing the accessory Mia had forced Florina to wear a scant few minutes ago. His ears were the same as Sain…round, and at the sides of his head. Didn't they just tell them cat laguz had ears on the top of their heads, just like regular felines?

Soren was the one to respond. "We were baffled about that as well. However, our 'contact' was the one to explain that this was a phenomenon known as 'Morphic Association Effect'. Basically, since laguz do not and have never existed in this world, his species was not compatible with the natural laws of this world. Thus, when we awoke here, he had been changed to the 'closest existence' to his original species. In other words, he's lucky he had more in common with the humans here rather than a domestic cat."

"Because i-if he were closer to a cat...he'd be stuck as an animal, r-right?" Florina had finally raised her gaze and attempted to join the conversation. Seems she had been paying attention this whole time.

"That is correct."

Ranulf pointed at the headgear he was wearing. "I honestly cannot get used to not having the weight of my ears above my head, so I use these to feel a bit less strange about it. Granted, they won't make my hearing improve any, as these fleshy beorclike ears I'm stuck with aren't anywhere near as sensitive as my real ones, and don't get me started on my lack of a tail…but at least it's something."

"Coincidentally, magic does not work in this world. I've tried using some tomes, but I cannot perform even the most basic of Wind spells." Soren added. This made Sain raise an eyebrow, as Wind tomes were extremely rare and advanced magic back in Elibe; he probably wouldn't know it even existed if not for Erk enlightening him on the matter. Seems that was yet another thing their worlds differed in.

Surprisingly, Florina spoke next. "N-now that we're on the subject of m-magic," She struggled with her words; being around so many men she had just met was definitely taking its toll on her, "M-mia, you changed my g-garments while I was unconscious, didn't you?"

"Yeppers, Floririn! The dress you're wearing right now is mine, but feel free to keep it! It just looks sooooo cute on you."

Florina turned her gaze to the side, blushing yet again. Sain pondered for a moment if blushing so much could become dangerous for her health before she spoke again. "T-there wouldn't have happened to be a s-stone on me when you found me, was there?"

"Oh, you mean the crystallike green thingy? I put it in one of the drawers next to where you were sleeping. Let me go fetch it!" And before anybody could say anything, an orange and purple blur was gone. He had to wonder how the girl, or anybody for the matter, could have such boundless energy. Did she even need to sleep?

Mia skipped back to the table, artifact in tow, and placed it in front of Florina. The first thing Sain could notice was that the unnatural turquoise glow that was emanating from it when he had seen it once before was no longer there. Florina clearly noticed it too.

"T-this stone…it used to glow…and we f-found it near Dragon's Gate. A d-different world, i-inhabited by dragons existed on the other side…we knew that for a f-fact. It was sealed some time ago…"

"…Interesting, very interesting." Responded Soren, and Sain could swear that his otherwise unmovable stoicism was replaced with excitement for a split second before returning to its default state. "That stone could provide us with a clue as to how we got here."

"C-can you study it?" Florina inquired. Soren shook his head.

"No, but our 'contact' might be able to do so, as 'the organization' he's working with has equipment and knowledge we certainly don't. Not to mention that without my magic, my ability to experiment is rather limited."

"A-ah. I'm entrusting it to you…Sir Soren." Florina said. Soren nodded.

'Contact'. 'Organization'. These words rung inside of Sain's head. If there was an entity that knew about their current situation and had studied it thoroughly, how come Ike and the others haven't found a way back to Tellius?

"Tell me about this contact of yours." He was not going to beat around the bush. He needed information, and he needed it now.

Ike was the one to speak up. "That man calls himself 'Celsius' and he was the one to find us when we first arrived here. Well, perhaps 'finding' isn't the right way to put it, as he also knew you two were going to appear in the beach…He probably knows when and where people from other worlds appear, somehow. It's actually thanks to him we got this house…the organization he works with paid for our living expenses the first few months, so it gave us a chance to get jobs. Now, he's always telling us that this and that is 'classified information' when we ask him anything, and that can get quite frustrating, but we're all grateful for what he and his people have done for us."

"Celsius…odd name." Sain mused.

"I said the same thing when we met him." Ranulf added. "Maybe it's not his real name. But that's hardly important now. I think what we all want to know is how we ended up here, and how we can go home. I really want my ears and tail back!"

"Speak for yourself, Ranulf." The 'boy', Rolf, finally spoke up, having remained silent during the whole conversation. "I think I like it here better. I don't think I can go back to not having running water 24/7, for starters."

"C'mon, Rolf. We all know why you really don't want to go back." Ranulf responded.

Ike intervened in their little discussion. "That's beside the point. I think we should focus on teaching Sain and Florina a little bit about where we currently are. Soren, you got the map?"

-o-

The rest of the night was spent cramming as much information as possible on this foreign world into Sain and Florina's heads. They were currently in a country known as the 'United States of America', or USA for short, in the city of Los Angeles within the State of California. Wasn't that a mouthful? It seemed that this country had fifty such states... what a large nation.

Next thing he knew, Ike was teaching him and Florina how to use the different gadgets and installations in the house. To think that you could light up a room or make it dark at the flick of a switch…to say that's incredible is to put it lightly.

But then he learned about how easily they had access to water and could bathe every day. Ike chuckled at his amazement, and mentioned he once read a phrase that had stuck with him since then: "Sufficiently advanced technology is undistinguishable from magic, you know."

But perhaps the most awe-inspiring moment for him was when Ike had turned on the sleek, rectangular machine he referred to as 'television'. He thought nothing could surprise him again that night, but he was dead wrong.

It was just like theater, only far, far more realistic and accessible at any time! And he could choose from many different…'channels', were they? There was so much variety, from educational demonstrations to romantic dramatizations! The people of this world had to be absolutely amazing in order to create something so mind-bogglingly astounding. It's as if he had access to a library in which the books came to life and he could see what was going on from the other side of a window!

That's what this 'television' was! It was a window into a potentially infinite number of stories and information!

He could tell that Florina was amazed too by the way her eyes had widened and she stared at that magnificent window from the couch; the same couch he was now laying on. He was to sleep on the comfortable furniture that night, so they could decide on a course of action in the morrow. Fair enough; despite being unconscious for so long, his body was still exhausted from the near-death experience earlier.

He crossed his arms behind his head, and stared at the ceiling above him in darkness. He let his thoughts wander, and that they did, until they decided to stop at a single destination: the Pegasus Knight he had risked his life to save and was sharing his predicament with him. Florina.

He had come to notice something during Ike's little tour of their humble abode. Florina seemed to be remarkably more at ease around him than anybody else in the household, and that included Mia. Not that he could blame her, considering Mia's straightforward, pushy personality no doubt made her nerves stand on edge. How the two were introduced couldn't possibly help matters at all.

If her standing side by side with, clutching at the sleeve of his borrowed garment as if seeking him out for protection was any indication, of course.

He felt a small pride at this. He'd be idiotic to think that his self-control was flawless, but his restraint around the androphobic girl had definitely had an effect on her.

Maybe, just maybe, she sees him as someone reliable. That alone brought a smile to his face. He had to try his best for her, for himself, and for Fiora.

"Fiora…" Sain muttered before his senses started drifting towards sleep. "I'll watch over your sister. Don't you worry…"

…and in his dreams, he saw _her_ again. That smile of hers…forever unchanging …

**Chapter 1 – END**

**-**o-

**Author's Comments: **Hello, everyone. I have a selfish request to make. I have big plans, and I want to try creating a sort of cross-media project with this story. That involves scene and character illustrations, and eventually, an ask blog in which you can interact with the characters as they are in the context of the story! If such a thing interests you, please follow "storybookknights" on tumblr. I'll do my best to meet your expectations! 'Till next time!


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